Packing machine for nursery stock



Feb. 4, 1969 R. J. BROERSMA 3,426,359

PACKING MACHINE FOR NURSERY STOCK Filed Aug. 31. 1966 Sheet of 5 Feb. 4, 1969 J BRQERSMA 3,426,359

PACKING MACHINE FOR NURSERY STOCK Filed Aug. 31. 1966 Sheet g of 8 INVENTOR J/// I Y I y [24 4 Ml 5 Feb. 4, 1969 R. J. BROERSMA 3,426,359

PACKING MACHINE FOR NURSERY STOCK Filed Aug. 3l, 1966 Sheet 3 of 5 INVENTOR 057 J 550695/7 4 United States Patent 3,426,359 PACKING MACHINE FOR NURSERY STOCK Robert J. Broersma, Spring Lake, Mich., assignor to B & B

Engineering Company, Grand Haven, Mich., a partnership of Michigan Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 243,044, Dec. 7, 1962. This application Aug. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 576,807 US. Cl. 53-124 15 Claims Int. Cl. 865b, 25/ 02, 37/02 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A packing machine having a casing formed by a plurality of sections which are mounted for movement toward and away from each other. The casing sections can be brought together to form a substantially closed zone whereby the item of nursery stock and the packing material previously placed in the casing sections are shaped into a compacted form. A pusher element is provided to push the packing material and the object packed therein out of the casing. A hopper for supplying packing material is disposed above the casing. Intermittent feeding means, such as a reciprocable shuttle, is provided for transporting a measured charge of packing material from the hopper to the casing. A suitable funnel and guide structure is provided between the hopper and the casing to guide the movement of the packing material into the casing sections.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 243,044, filed Dec. 7, 1962, now US. Patent No. 3,284,981.

This invention relates to a packing machine and, more particularly, relates to a machine for packing items of nursery stock into packages for storage, handling and merchandising.

In a machine intended for the same general purposes as herein contemplated, which machine is disclosed in my application Serial No. 243,044, there is provided means for supplying dirt or other packing material to a shuttle, said shuttle then places a measured amount of the packing material into a plurality of open clam-shell-like casing sections, a, plant is arranged thereon, the casing sections are closed to form the packing material around the plant roots, and then a ram moves the packing material and plant together out from the closed casing and into a container such as a pot or a bag.

This machine works very successfully but, in a continuing effort to improve same, certain additional features have been developed which provide substantially improved operation.

Particularly, in the earlier machine, the shuttle and the casing sections are necessarily closely inter-related in size and a given' design is conveniently arranged for handling only a relatively narrow range of amounts of packing media and hence for handling only a small range of pot sizes. It is however desirable to have a single machine arranged to operate with pots of a wide range of sizes and this requires that the casing sections and the shuttle be adjustable to handle a wide range of quantities of packing material. Inasmuch as the casing sections can be readily replaced, and are individually relatively inexpensive, it is convenient to arrange this part of the machine for replacement as desired to modify the sizes as aforesaid. However, the hopper into which the packing media is placed and the shuttle by which it is moved from the hopper to the Casing sections are relatively less easy to replace and hence it has been a particular problem to provide means by which these parts of the machine could be 3,426,359 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 shuttle but which does not move during the closing of the.

remainder of the casing and hence the undesired movement of the central portion of the packing material does not occur. Alternatively, a diverter structure can be provided to prevent the packing media from falling from the shuttle into the central portion of the casing when same is open.

Accordingly, the major objects of the present invention include:

(1) To provide an improved machine for packing material around the roots of a plant and then further packing same into a container, such as a flower pot.

(2) To provide a machine as aforesaid which is similar to the machine shown in my application Ser. No. 243,044, but which is significantly improved and, particularly, which is more easily adaptable to use with containers of different sizes.

(3) To provide a machine as aforesaid in which a hopper and a shuttle mechanism of fixed size can be used but which is provided with adjustable guide means by which the packing material is guided from the shuttle to the casing sections.

(4) To provide a machine as aforesaid in which the hopper and the shuttle are of fixed size but wherein the parts for forming the packing material around the roots of the plant and shaping same for entry into a container may be readily interchanged and wherein there is further provided conveniently adjustable guide means for conducting packing material from the shuttle to the forming means.

(5) To provide an improved packing machine as aforesaid in which the casing for holding the item to be packed and for shaping the packing material around the item is comprised of at least three hingedly connected sections which in one position form an upwardly opening receptacle for receiving the item to be packed and the packing material, the sections being movable to a second position in which they form substantially a cylinder and the sections in so moving to the second position force the packing material around the item and shape the packing material into a substantially cylindrical shape.

(6) To provide an improved packing machine as aforesaid in which the central casing section remains stationary while the other sections are moved to their second positions.

(7) To provide an improved packing machine in which the movable casing sections are positively movable t0 and from a closed position by power-operated means.

(8) To provide an improved packing machine as afore- 0 said in which guide means in the form of a downwardly scribed in my application Serial No. 243,044 and which has additional operational advantages.

Other objects and purposes of this invention will be apparent to persons acquainted with machine of this type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partially broken away, of an improved packing machine according to the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line IIIIII of FIGURE 1 with the casing being shown in an opened position.

FIGURE 4 corresponds to a fragment of FIGURE 3 with the casing being shown in the closed position.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the line VV of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a central longitudinal sectional view of a modified machine embodying the invention.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VIIVII of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a side view of a reduced scale of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 9 is a view corresponding to a fragment of FIGURE 5 and showing a modification.

General description The packing machine according to the present invention comprises a casing formed of a plurality of sections which are mounted for movement toward and away from each other. The casing sections can be brought together to form substantially a cylinder whereby the items of nursery stock and the packing material previously placed in the casing are shaped into a generally cylindrical form. A pusher element is provided to push the packing material and the object packed therein out of the casing and thence out of the machine. The hopper for supplying the packing material is disposed above the casing. Intermittent feed means, such as a reciprocable shuttle or feed drawer, is provided for transporting a measured charge of packing material from the hopper to the casing. A suitable funnel and guide structure is provided between the feed drawer and the casing in order to guide movement of the packing material into the casing sections.

Detailed description of FIGURES 1 to 5 Referring to FIGURES 1 to 5, there is provided a table 1 which is supported on any convenient type of frame, portions of which are schematically indicated at 2 and 3', the frame being arranged to stand on a floor or on a convenient support. A plate 4 is supported on the table 1 and it in turn supports an inverted channel member 6. A pair of lower end plates 7 and *8 are releasably afiixed by bolts 5 and brackets 10, respectively, to the channel member 6 and extend vertically upwardly therefrom. A plurality of horizontal, vertically spaced tie rods 9 are secured to and extend between the end plates 7 and '8 adjacent the front side of the table and corresponding tie rods 9A are provided adjacent the rear side of the table. A pair of upper end plates 11 and 12 extend upwardly from the upper edges of, and constitute extensions of, the lower end plates 7 and 8. The upper end plates 11 and 12 are secured to the lower end plates 7 and 8 by brackets 13. The lower end plates 7 and 8 and the upper end plates 11 and 12 can be removed from the frame by removing the bolts 5 and brackets whereby these parts can be replaced by other parts to adjust the machine for filling containers of widely different sizes.

A casing 14 extends lengthwise between the end plates 7 and 8 above the channel member 6. The casing 14 in this embodiment is comprised of a stationary central section 16 and a pair of side sections 17 and 18, said sections being shaped so that the casing has a substantially cylindrical shape when it is in its closed position (FIG- URE 4). The casing side sections 17 and 18 are hingedly connected by hinges 19 and 21 to the opposite lengthwise edges of the central casing section 16. The central casing section 16 is secured to and extends between the end plates 7 and 8 so that it is stationary while the side sections 17 and 18 are movable toward and away from each other about the axis of the hinges 19 and 21, respectively.

A yoke 22 is provided for moving the casing sections 17 and 18 between their open and closed positions. The web of the channel member 6 has an opening 23 there-- through and an upright casing 24 extends through said opening. The casing 24 is secured in fixed position by a pair of bracket plates 26 and 27 which are secured to and extend between the casing and the channel member 6. A pair of diametrically opposed, vertical slots 28 and 29 are provided in the casing 24. A push rod 31 is reciprocable in the casing 24 and a pair of links 32 and 33 are pivotally connected to the upper end of said push rod and extend laterally therefrom through the slots 28 and 29 and thence extend upwardly. Thus, the push rod 31 and the arms 32 and 33 comprise the generally Y-shaped yoke 22. The upper ends of the arms 32 and 33 are pivotally connected to lugs 34 and 36 which extend from the casing side sections 17 and 18.

The push rod 31 can be raised and lowered in any convenient manner, such as by a pressure fluid cylinder 39 (FIGURE 1) which is connected to the lower end of said push rod. Thus, operation of the cylinder in one direction will raise the yoke 22 to close the casing sections as shown in FIGURE 4 and operation of the cylinder in the opposite direction will lower the yoke and thereby effect movement of the casing sections into the open position as shown in FIGURE 3.

An opening 41 is provided through the end plate 8, said opening being of approximately the same size as, and being substantially coaxial with the inside diameter of, the cylinder formed by the casing 14 when same is in the closed position. The end plate 7 has a similar opening therethrough (not shown). An annular flange 43 can be secured to end plate 7 surrounding the opening therein. If desired, a cylindrical extension 44 may be placed on the flange 43. The flange 43, and the extension 44 if used, provide support for a suitable pot or other container for receiving the object and the packing material discharged from the casing.

A pusher 46 is reciprocatble within the casing 14. The pusher 46 is a substantially flat plate having a diameter slightly smaller than the diameters of the casing 14 and opening 41 so that said pusher can slide through said opening, said casing and through the opening in the end plate 7 in order to discharge the packing material and the object packed therein from the machine. An upwardly opening generally U-shaped slot 47 is provided through the pusher 46. An upwardly opening generally U-shaped trough 48 is secured to and extends horizontally away from the pusher 46- with its opening communicating with the slot 47. The trough '48 has upwardly and outwardly diverging flanges 49. Thus, the above ground portion of an item of nursery stock can be supported in the trough 48 while the root portion is positioned within the casing 14. It will be understood, however, that the use of the trough 48 is not essential and that the pusher 46 can have openings of other shapes therethrough.

A reciprocable rod 51 is secured to the pusher 46 and extends away therefrom generally parallel with the plane of the table 1. The rod 51 is guided by a suitable guide 52 and slide plates 53 whereby said rod is supported only for reciprocation in its lengthwise direction. The rod 51 can be reciprocated by any convenient means, such as a pressure fluid cylinder 54.

A hopper 56 is stationarily supported on the frame by suitable brackets 55, such hopper being vertically and sidewardly olfset from the end plates 7 and 8, but being located in lateral alignment therewith. A feed drawer 57 is reciprocated between a position directly underneath the hopper (FIGURE 3) and a position in which it is disposed between the upper end plates 11 and 12 directly above the casing 14. The feed drawer 57 is open at its top and bottom. Spacers 58 may be secured in the feed drawer to adjust the volumetric capacity thereof. The lower side of the feed drawer 57 is closed by a wall 59 when the drawer is directly underneath the hopper 56. When the hopper is moved to a position directly above the casing 14, the contents of the'feed drawer can drop by gravity into the casing. The feed drawer is reciprocable by any convenient means, such as a pressure fluid cylinder 61.

A foraminous cover plate 62 extends between the upper edges of the upper end plates 11 and 12. A pair of spacedapart side walls 63 and 64 also extend between said upper end plates. The rear side wall 63 has an opening 66 therein through which the feed drawer 57 can reciprocate. The front sidewall 64 is closed. The lower portions 67 and 68 of the side walls 63 and 64 converge in a downward direction and their lower ends are spaced apart a distance not substantially greater than, and preferably (as shown) somewhat less than, the spacing between the upper edges of the casing side sections 17 and 18 when the casing is in its open position. Thus, the side walls 63 and 64 in conjunction with the upper end walls 11 and 12 function as a funnel and guard structure to confine the flow of packing material so that it flows from the feed drawer 57 into the casing and leakage of the packing material is minimized.

A downwardly divergent divider 69 can be positioned between the end walls 11 and 12 adjacent the lower edges thereof to further assist in distributing the packing material in the casing. The divider 69 is not essential with a three or more section casing as shown in FIGURES 1-5 but its use does facilitate the operation of the apparatus.

It will be understood that a control system can be provided in order to effect the desired sequential movement of the yoke 22, the pusher 46 and the feed drawer 57 in an automatic or semi-automatic fashion. Since the details of such a control system will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art and since the control system forms no part of the present invention and can be substantially the same as that disclosed in my aforementioned application, a detailed description of the control system is believed to be unnecessary and has been omitted.

Operation of the embodiments of FIGURES 1 t While the operation of the apparatus of FIGURES 1 to 5 has been indicated generally in the foregoing description the same will be briefly repeated to insure a complete understanding of the invention.

Assuming for the purposes of illustration that the apparatus is to be used for packing small and flexible plants in peat moss and then in a pot, the hopper 56 will be filled with a supply of peat moss, and a supply of plants and pots will be positioned for convenient use by the operator. The yoke 22 will be positioned in its lowermost position so that the casing 14 is in its open position. The pusher 46 will be in its retracted position and the feed drawer 57 will be directly underneath the hopper.

The operation will be started by supplying pressure to the cylinder 61 in order to advance the feed drawer 57, which is filled with peat moss, from a position directly underneath the hopper 56 to a position over the casing 14. This movement of the feed drawer 57 will take place very rapidly so that even though the lower side of the feed drawer is open, once it advances past the forward edge of the wall 59, the packing material will be carried forward sufficiently rapidly that it will be substantially.

evenly distributed in the casing sections. The distributor 69 will further assist in achieving the desired substantially uniform distribution of the packing material in the casing sections 17 and 18. The feed drawer 57 can then be moved back to its original position.

The operator will then place the plant onto the peat moss which is lying in the casing 14, said casing still being in the open position. The item of nursery stock can be slid into the casing 14 by moving it through the trough 48 and the slot 47 in the pusher 46. The root portion of the item of nursery stock can be placed in the casing 14 while the above ground portion thereof can rest in the trough 48. As soon as the item of nursery stock is properly positioned, then the operator can actuate suitable pressure fluid circuitry in order to supply pressure fluid to the cylinder 39 and thereby raise the yoke 22 whereby the casing side sections 17 and 18 are pivoted toward each other so that the casing is formed into a generally cylindrical shape. The packing material is moved thereby around the roots of the plant and it is firmly brought into contact with said roots.

As soon as the yoke 22 reaches the upward end of its stroke, the cylinder 54 can be energized to effect leftward movement of the pusher 46 and thereby drive the packing material and the plant through the opening in the end plate 7 into the container supported on flange 43 or cylinder 44 (if used). Preferably, the pusher 46 will be extended through and beyond the opening in end plate 7 so that the container is pushed off the cylinder and the packing thereof is completed subject only to such further processing as may be desired, such as tieing of the container top or placing it in a box or other operations as desired. The pusher 46 is then returned to its original position at the right of the casing 14 after which the cylinder 39 can be actuated to move the yoke 22 downwardly to open the casing 14. The cycle can then be repeated.

Modifications of FIGURES 6 t0 8 Referring to FIGURES 6-8, there is shown a modified machine which is generally similar to the previously described machine. Corresponding parts in the embodiment of FIGURES 68 are identified by the same reference numerals with a sufiix A added thereto. The following description will describe in detail only those parts of this embodiment which are significantly different from the firstdescribed embodiment.

The casing 14A is comprised of two generally semicylindrical sections 17A and 18A which are hingedly connected by a hinge 19A along their respectively adjacent lengthwise edges. The casing sections 17A and 18A are moved between their open and closed positions by a yoke 22A which can be the same as the yoke in the previously described embodiment.

The hopper 56A and feed drawer 57A are positioned directly above the table 1A and are supported thereon by means, including a frame element 55A. The feed drawer 57A is movable in a direction lengthwise of the table 1A and in this embodiment lengthwise of and parallel to the axis of hinge 19A, in order to move a measured charge of packing media from the hopper 56A into the housing 71. By causing the material at the moment of its release from the feed drawer 57A to have a component of motion generally parallel with the axis of the cylindrical Zone formed when the casing sections are closed, a better lateral distribution of said material is obtained and, subsequently, a better centering of the plant in the packing material is achieved.

The housing 71 is open-topped and has a substantially rectangular cross section. The feed drawer 57A is movable over the top of the housing 71 for discharging packing media into said housing so that it falls downwardly therein by gravity toward the casing 14A. An adjustable media directing element 72, here a plate, is pivotally connected at its upper edge by a hinge 75 to the front wall 73 of the housing 71 and extends downwardly therefrom. A bracket 74 engages the underside of the plate 72 and serves as a stop therefor so that said plate is supported against downward pivotal movement toward the front wall 73 of the housing. The bracket 74 is vertically adjustable within the slot 76 in the front wall 73 whereby the angle of inclination of the plate 72 can be adjusted. Thus, the lengthwise extent of the easing into which the packing media is placed can be adjusted by moving the plate 72 toward or away from the front wall 73.

A housing 71 also has a pair of inwardly and downwardly inclined plates 77 and 78 on the side walls thereof for directing the packing media into the casing sections.

A diverter 69A is preferably mounted in the housing 71 between the lower edge of the plate 72 and the casing 14A. The diverter 69A is positioned directly above the hinge 19A and extends substantially the full length thereof. The diverter 69A diverges in a downward direction and diverts the packing material away from the hinge 19A and the parts of the casing adjacent thereto. While not always essential, this diverter is important especially with a two-section casing, because if the packing material lies above the hinge, a plant placed thereon may be moved upwardly when the casing is closed so that the plant will not be centered in the packing media.

The operation of this embodiment is substantially the same as the operation of the previously described embodiments and hence does not require detailed description.

Referring to FIGURE 9, there is shown a modified construction in which the end plate 7A, at the discharge side of the apparatus, has a slot 81A therein which is adapted to communicate with the slot 47A in the pusher 46A. The slot 81A facilitates the unloading of plants, particularly plants having long stalks or stems.

Although particular preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed above in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that variations or modifications of such disclosure, which lie within the scope of the appended claims are fully contemplated.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined .as follows:

1. A machine for packaging objects, particularly plants, in packing media, comprising:

an elongated, substantially horizontal casing comprised of a plurality of easing sections and means mounting and actuating said casing sections for relative movement toward and away from each other between closed and open positions;

pusher means movable through said casing for discharging the contents thereof;

a hopper and movable feed means for moving packing media from said hopper into said casing, said hopper and said feed means being spaced vertically upwardly above the upper end of said casing;

upright passage means extending from adjacent said hopper to said casing and arranged so that said feed means is movable over the upper end of said passage means so that said feed means can deposit a charge of packing media into said passage means and said packing media will then move downwardly toward said casing; and

said passage means having guide wall means including an inclined wall member for directing the flow of the packing media into said casing when same is in its open position and means for moving at least the lower end of said wall member in a direction lengthwise of said casing in order to adjust the length of the zone in said casing filled with packing media.

2. A machine according to claim 1, in which said upright passage means is a vertically arranged tubular structure, said casing being mounted within said tubular structure adjacent the lower end thereof, said wall member being inclined inwardly and downwardly and being mounted within said tubular structure.

3. A machine according to claim .1, in which said guide wall means further includes a pair of opposing, spacedapart, oppositely inclined side wall portions whose lower edges are spaced upwardly from and extend lengthwise along said casing.

4. A machine for packaging plants in packing media, comprising:

a frame;

wall means extending upwardly from said frame and defining an upright chamber, said wall means including two spaced-apart end walls having coaxial openings therethrough, an elongated horizontal casing disposed within said chamber adjacent the lower end thereof and extending lengthwise between said end walls, said casing being comprised of a plurality of sections which are related for relative movement between an open position in which said casing sections open upwardly and are disposed in side-by-side relation and a closed position in which they form an elongated enclosure for the plant and the packing media, said casing being located so that said enclosure is coaxial with said openings;

a pusher element of substantially the same cross-sectional size and shape as said openings, said pusher element having an opening therethrough through which a plant can be inserted into said casing;

means for reciprocating said pusher element through said casing and said openings in said end walls;

means mounted on said frame and disposed below said casing and connected thereto for opening and closing said casing;

said wall means including a pair of spaced-apart oppositely inwardly and downwardly inclined side wall portions extending between said end walls and located above said casing, the lower edges of said side wall portions being spaced apart a distance not substantially greater than the distance between the mutually remote side edges of said casing when same is in said open position, said side wall portions directing the packing media into said casing sections when same are in said open positions;

a hopper mounted on said frame and located adjacent the upper end of said chamber; and

a reciprocable feed drawer for moving a charge of packing media from said hopper into the upper end of said chamber from where it falls by gravity into said casing sections.

5. A machine for packaging objects, particularly plants,

in packing media, comprising:

an elongated, substantially horizontal casing comprised of a plurality of casing sections and means mounting and actuating said casing sections for relative movement toward and away from each other between closed and open positions;

pusher means movable through said casing for discharging the contents thereof;

a hopper and movable feed means for moving packing media from said hopper into said casing, said hopper and said feed means being spaced vertically upwardly above the upper end of said casing;

upright passage means extending from adjacent said hopper to said casing and arranged so that said feed means is movable over the upper end of said passage means so that said feed means can deposit a charge of packing media into said passage means and said packing media will then move downwardly toward said casing, said passage means have guide wall means for directing the flow of the packing media intg said casing when same is in its open position; an

diverter means mounted in said passage means above said casing means and extending in a direction lengthwise of said casing for directing the packing media into selected areas of said casing and preventing the packing media from entering other areas of said casing.

6. A machine for packaging an object, particularly plants, in packing media, comprising:

an elongated, substantially horizontal casing comprised of two substantially semi-cylindrical casing sections hingedly connected to each other;

means mounting and actuating said casing sections for movement toward and away from each other hetween closed and open positions, said means including a pair of linkages connected to said casing sections and a vertically movable actuating member, said linkages being connected to said actuating member so that vertical movement of said actuating member opens and closes said casing;

pusher means movable through said casing for discharging the contents thereof;

a hopper and movable feed means for moving packing media from said hopper into said casing, said hopper and said feed means being spaced vertically upwardly above the upper end of said casing; and

upright passage means extending from adjacent said hopper to said casing and arranged so that said feed means is movable over the upper end of said passage means so that said feed means can deposit a charge of packing media into said passage means and said packing media will then move downwardly toward said casing, said passage means having guide wall means for directing the flow of the packing media into said casing when same is in its open position.

7. A machine for packaging objects, particularly plants,

in packing media, comprising:

an elongated, substantially horizontal casing comprised :of at least three casing sections and means mounting and actuating said casing sections for movement to ward and away from each other between closed and open positions, the central casing section being stationary and the other two sections being connected to the opposite lengthwise edges of said central casing section by hinges;

pusher means movable through said casing for discharging the contents thereof;

a hopper and movable feed means for moving packing media from said hopper into said casing, said hopper and said feed means being spaced vertically upwardly above the upper end of said casing; and

upright passage means extending from adjacent said hopper to said casing and arranged so that said feed means is movable over the upper end of said passage means so that said feed means can deposit a charge of packing media into said passage means and said packing media will then move downwardly toward said casing, said passage means having guide wall means for directing the flow of the packing media into said casing when same is in its open position.

8. A machine according to claim 7, wherein said mounting and actuating means includes a pair of linkages connected to said other two casing sections and a vertically movable actuating member connected to said linkages so that vertical movement of the actuating member opens and closes said casing.

9. A machine for packaging objects, particularly plants, in packing media, comprising:

an elongated, substantially horizontal casing comprised of a plurality of casing sections, means relating said casing sections to each other for movement toward and away from each other between an open position in which the casing sections are in side-by-side upwardly facing relation and a closed position in which they define a substantially cylindrical zone; pusher means movable lengthwise through said casing for discharging the contents thereof; means for dropping packing media into said casing from substantially vertically above said casing; limit means holding the opposed edges of the casing sections together when same are in the open position;

and diverter means mounted above said casing for directing the packing media falling toward said easing into said casing sections and preventing the packing media from falling onto said limit means and the portions of the casing sections immediately adjacent thereto. 10. A machine according to claim 9, in which said casing is comprised of two substantially semi-cylindrical casing sections and said limit means comprises a single hinge hingedly connecting said sections, and in which said diverter means comprises a downwardly flaring member disposed vertically directly above said hinge.

11. A machine according to claim 10, in which said means relating said casing sections to each other for movement toward and away from each other includes a pair of links pivotally connected at corresponding one ends thereof to said casing sections and a vertically movable actuating element pivotally connected to said pair of links adjacent the other ends thereof.

12. A machine for packaging objects, particularly plants, in packing media, comprising:

an elongated, substantially horizontal casing comprised of 'at least three casing sections;

means mounting and actuating said casing sections wherein one of said casing sections is stationary and other casing sections are disposed on either side of said one section and are movable between an open position in which said casing sections are disposed in side-by-side upwardly facing relation and a closed position in which the casing sections define a single substantially closed zone;

pusher means movable lengthwise through said casing for discharging the contents thereof; and

means for feeding packing media into said casing sections when same are in said open position.

13. A machine according to claim 12, in which said casing sections are hingedly connected and define a substantially cylindrical zone when in the closed position and in which said feed means includes shuttle-like structure effecting release of said media into said passage means simultaneously with movement of said shuttle-like structure parallel with the axis of said cylindrical zone.

14. A machine according to claim 12, in which said casing sections are disposed in a substantially horizontal side-by-side upwardly facing relation when in the open position.

15. A machine according to claim 12, wherein said mounting and actuating means includes a pair of links pivotally connected at corresponding one ends thereof to said other casing sections and a vertically movable actuating element pivotally connected to the other ends of said links.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,065,586 11/1962 Ghiringhelli 53124 3,075,456 1/1963 Uschmann 215 X 3,088,499 5/1963 Rieger 100-232 X 3,143,836 8/1964 Weller 53--24 X 3,284,981 11/1966 Broersma 53-124 TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner. R. L. SPRUILL, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. G1. X.R. 100233 

